Lockdown 2020

Lockdown

(from a wild write)

April 2020

I didn’t have any inclinations to bake cornbread in a cast iron skillet in over 20 years. But one month into our government stay-at-home order, it became my new project. I let my golden beautiful cakes cool a bit and then attempted to lift one out of the mold. It should have come out looking like a little ear of corn. But they did not pop out, it crumbled through my fingertips. Was it mocking me or sympathizing with me? I slowly slipped onto the floor. My breath hitched between a sob and a chortle as I let go. Anxiety, worry, pain, and heartbreak took their leave. A monsoon beating against a filthy window, washing away layers of grime, until rays of hope danced on my face. With a spoon in hand, I decided to lift and scrape what I could out of the pan, reached for my cup of tea to accompany the formless pile. The cornbread melted on my tongue, perfectly gritty and greasy.